By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

May 4, 2013

Memphis became only the 10th team to win four straight games in a playoff series after trailing by 0-2 — and the first to win each of the next four by double digits. The Grizzlies won four straight postseason games for the first time in their short playoff history, ousting the Clippers in six games with a 118-105 victory on Friday night.

Zach Randolph, who had 23 points before being ejected with 1 minute 57 seconds left, said the Grizzlies had a lot of emotion in their locker room. Winning the series also makes up a bit for losing to the Clippers in a Game 7 here a year ago.

“Last year I thought we should have won the series, but we didn’t,” Randolph said. “It means more this time.”

Memphis’s win sets up a rematch in the Western Conference semifinals against Oklahoma City, the team that beat the Grizzlies in seven games in 2011, the only other time they won a playoff series. The Grizzlies will play Game 1 against the Thunder on Sunday in Oklahoma City.

“Sky is the limit for us,” Grizzlies guard Tony Allen said.

Referring to Randolph, he added: “To back up what he said, one game at a time has been our motto. We are a blue-collar team. We are going to grind it out game in and game out. We are just looking forward to Sunday, taking it one game at a time.”

The Grizzlies and the Clippers posted matching franchise records, going 56-32 in the regular season. The Clippers had the No. 4 seed and the home-court advantage after winning the season series against Memphis, 3-1, and they even won nine straight games by going 2-0 in Los Angeles. Then they wound up losing four straight for only the third time this season.

Now the Clippers have to decide whether to bring back Coach Vinny Del Negro, who wants to return, and try to convince Chris Paul not to leave when he becomes a free agent in July. Paul said he had plenty of time to figure out his next move.

“Our season is over,” Paul said. “There’s nothing to take away from it. It is what it is. We lost.”

Mike Conley scored 23 points and shot 12 of 17 at the free-throw line for Memphis. The Grizzlies finished with seven players in double figures. Allen had a postseason-best 19 points, and Jerryd Bayless had 16.

The reserve Matt Barnes scored a career playoff-best 30 points for Los Angeles. Paul had 28 points before being ejected with 2:29 left for crashing into Marc Gasol off a missed free throw. He later shook hands with several Grizzlies before going to the locker room.

Del Negro said he did not understand how Paul could have been thrown out of the game. Paul had never been ejected from the playoffs before, and he thanked an unnamed friend for reminding him to watch what he said to reporters.

“I got kids to feed,” Paul said.

Blake Griffin did not start because of his sprained right ankle, and he scored 9 points in 13:56. Del Negro said Griffin’s ankle was as big as a grapefruit, limiting him to a few minutes at a stretch.

“This is not how we wanted it to end,” Griffin said.

David Stern, the N.B.A. commissioner, was on hand, as was Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones. Conley had his former Ohio State teammate Greg Oden in the arena as well. Having Stern on hand did not slow anyone down in a game featuring lots of headlocks and knockdowns along with seven technical fouls. Grant Hill had three fouls in three minutes in the first half, and Chauncey Billups was called for a flagrant-1.

“They came out and threw and everything at us,” Memphis Coach Lionel Hollins said. “They played small. They played smaller. They pressed. They zoned. They gave hard fouls. They really competed. We held our poise. Held up mentally tough-wise and were able to get the win.”

Billups credited the Grizzlies for never letting them get into a rhythm or their Lob City run-and-gun approach.